The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-01-20
CHAS. y. HENDRYx.

Man , local pa pcrs as well as many people
held that railroad property-road bed, roll
ing stock, depots, grounds, ETC., should be
assessed by the township assessor ana ne
subject 10 local taxes the same rs other
property wholly within the township. This
method of railroad taxation would work .
gross injustice, not to the RAILROAD corpora
lions, but to the people themselves, If such
a method of taxation were In vogue, It will
readily be seen that those townships, villa.
ges and school districts through which the
roads pass would alone reap the benefit of
the local taxes while others in close proxi-
nifty 10 the roads would receive no bensfit
whatever. This would virtually be collect
ing taxes from one Iocaliiy-and the poorer
one at that-for the benefit of its more favor-
ed neighbor. IL ought TO be plain to the
most superficial thinker that all taxes paid
by railroad compa MES Is collected by them
INN ediately from the people who furnish
them their business, In the shape Of freight
and passenger charges. The railroads col
lect their revenues from all who patronize
them, sometimes nom localities many miles
distant from their lines. All property
owners of the state share alike In. the bene-
hts OF the taxes paid In this way.-7edd
CoRnty argus. ....r
The Argus discusses the subject of
railroad taxes at some length In an
article from which the above Is taken,
arguing upon the basis that railroad
propeIty~is sui generis. unlike any
other property in the state. and here
Is its falacy. All classes of values, in
any equitable system of taxation,
should fall under the one rule of
paying taxes to and for the boneiit Of
the localities where they actually are,
and contributing to the benefits
which they receive from such locali
ties. Its argument that the towns.
etc., where these properties are
should not alone receive benefit from
taxation, because other localities
contribute to their prosperity, and
should therefore receive a portion Of
the taxes back again. II is the sam
with nearly every business enter
prise. BaRks are not limited in
business relations, to the corporate
bounds within which they ara locat-
cd, hut clearly they ought not there.
fore to be exem pied from local taxa
tion and in lieu thereof pay taxes
for the benefit Of all their customers.
Newspapers are striking example
OF the principle of drawing patron
age and support from u distance and
from all classes, but the Argus
would not therefore argue that they
should be taxed ina mann r-.i,--t
would dispense their taxes from
the center where the actual. tangible
property Is located. Should the Pion.
esr Press or the Globe, or the Argus
pay per centage on its years re.
ceipts into the state treasury, because
" the people who furnish them their
business" are scattered all over Min
Lesota? They "collect their reve.
nues from all who patronize them,
sometimes from localities many miles
distant from their offic-,-should
"all property owners of tho state
share alike in the benefits o. the
taxes paid.' on this account? Surely
not. Property of all kinds should
pay for the support OF its own pro-
lection and for the public benefits
ACQUIRING to it in proportion to its
value tight where it is located.
Banks, manufactures, railroads,
newspapers, merchandise, real estate
no matter in what form the capt.
tai is invested. it should pay all gen.
eral, local and special taxes alike,
without amy discrimination whatso-
ever. No county or community has
any claim upon taxes collected upon
property without its borders. If the
system Of taxing business, and not
property. for the beneit Of those
who sustain the business, but have
no hand in protecting the property,
is adopted the entire plan of taxa
tion will have TO be changed. Such
a system would be thoroughly i'm
practicable.
Tho plan of local taxation OF
railroads works admirably in the
several states where it prevails. and
would work equally we'll in Mime